Improved capstan



UNITED STATES HENRY DAVIES, OF PORTSMOUTH, OHIO.

IMPROVED CAPSTAN.

[o all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HENRY DAviEs, of Portsmouth, in the county oi' Scioto and State of'Ohio, have inventedanew and improved apparatus or capstan, used on steam and other vessels and applicable to other purposes; and I do hereby declare that the following' is afull and exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this speciiication, in which- Figure l is a side elevation, part in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view in section. Fig. 3 is an end view 5 Fig. 4, side view with rope on in the manner used; Fig. 5, a plan.

The same letters of reference refer to the parts in the different views.

A A, Fig. l, are grooved rollers, with three or more grooves. B B are low cog-wheels cast to or otherwise fastened to the grooved rollers A A in the mannershown. (lis a spindie or shaft carrying a wheel, D, which gears into the wheels B B; E, the cap or box to receive the capstanbars; F, the foundationplate; (i, the foot-step to carry the spindle or shaft C. The foundation-plate also receives the bottom ends ot' the spindles or shafts ofthe grooved rolls A A and wheels B B. H H is the frame for supporting the top end of the roller and wheel spindles, the upper end of the shaft C, and the pawl-plate J, and is supported and made iirm to the foundation-plate by the two pieces I I, (seen in Fig. 2, one side of which is seen in Figs. l and 4.) These pieces may be cast in one piece with the foundation-plate F. J, Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5, is a pawl-plate supported by frameH H K, the pawl, (seen in Figs. 3 and 4.) L L L L L L, Figs. 4 and 5, are capstan-bars; M N O, Fig. 4, coils of rope put on in the manner used; P Q, ends of the rope. The grooved rollers (seen in Figs. l, 3, and 4) are inclined from the vertical position in opposite directions, their centers being the same distance apart at each end. Their angles will be better understood by Fig. 3.

It will be seen by the dotted line representing the back grooved roller that the lowest side of the bottom groove is half the pitch of the grooves below the lowest side of the bottoni groove in the front roller, and the upper side of the bottom groove in the back roller is of the same height as the lowest side of the bottom groove in the front roller. It will also be seen that the upper side of the lowest groove in the front roller corresponds with the lowest side of the second groove in the back roller, and the upper side ot' this second groove in the back roller corresponds in height with the lowest side of the second groove in the front roller, and so on to the top. The apparatus or capstan canbe bolted down by means of the foundation-plate to any suitable place to make it secure for working. It will be seen that in consequence of the angle of the grooved rollers being in two opposite directions the wheel D must have its cogs at an angle suitable to the angle ot' the grooved rollers, which it drives by means of the wheels B B, or the wheels B B must have their cogs at an angle so that the face of the cog may be vertical when in its proper position.

Having described my invention, ll Will now proceed to describe its operation.

The end of the rope Q is first fastened to the object to be moved, or to an anchor or some fixed object, when the vessel to which it may be attached is to be moved. Take the part of the rope which reaches the capstan and lap it round two or three coils, as seen in Fig. 4. Now, if the capstan-bars are moved round in the direction of the arrows, as seen in Fig. 5, the grooved rollers will be turnedin the opposite direction, carrying the coils of rope with it and delivering at P to be coiled up in the usual manner; but it will be .seen that whatever the length of the rope Wound it will still be in the same grooves on the capstan, and therefore it will be unnecessary to let it slip, as in the old capstan.

It will also be seen as the rope laps in the grooves the grip will be much greater than on the old plain barrel-capstan, and consequently will require a less number of turns, and will entirely avoid the injurious effects of having to let the rope slip frequently to keep it in its proper place on the barrel, as in the old capstan.

I am aware that it is not new to employ in a capstan two rollers grooved in such manner as to avoid the necessity of slipping the cable thereon; but by my peculiar ina-nner of constructing and arranging the rollers I adapt the apparatus to operate with better effect.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

T-he pair of rollers A A, inclined obliquely from tile perpendicular in opposite directions, cach of the said rollers being provided with a series of parallel latitudinal Vshaped grooves, in the described combination with the spindle C, Wheel D, ande-ap E, all constructed, arranged, and operating in the manner and for the purposes herein specified.

HENRY DAVIES.

Witnesses:

ADAM KEER, JOHN J. MCFARLIN. 

